Clock for controlling mechanical devices.



F. WEHINGER. CLOCK FOR CONIROLLING MECHANICAL DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED APR- l9. IQIB- Patented Apr. 1,1919.

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F. WEHINGER. CLOCK FOR CONTROLLING MECHANICAL DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. 91s. V v Patented Apr.!1,1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WEIIINGER, 0F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WATERBURY CLOCK CO., OF WATER/BURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

CLOCK FOR CONTROLLING MECHANICAL DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed April 19, 1918. Serial No, 229,482.

constitute part of this application, and represent, in-

Figure 1 a plan view of my improved clock.

Fig. 2 a view thereof in rear elevation.

Fig. 3 a view in rear elevation of the clock-movement.

Fig. 4 aplan view thereof with the pivotal, combined warning and releasing lever in its releasing position.

Fig. 5 a corresponding view with the lever in its warning position.

Fig. 6 a detached perspective view of the combined tilting and sliding locking-plate.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of clocks constructed for controlling independently organized mechanical devices of whatever character, such as thermostats, gas valves, electric switches, etc., the object being to produce a simple and reliable controlling mechanism adapted to be readily adjusted and constructed with particular reference to imposing the minimum drag upon the time-train of the clock.

WVith these ends in View, my invention consists in a clock for controlling mechanical devices, having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my mvention as herein shown, I employ a combined warning and releasing lever 2 which rocks or pivots upon a stud 3 in a lug 4 turned up from the rear intermediate plate 5 of the movement which also has a rear movement plate 6, a forward intermediate movementplate 7 and a front movement-plate 8. As thus arranged, the

lever 2 rocks in a plane at, or substantially at, a right angle to the plane of the said movement-plates, or, .in other words, to the plane of the clock. One end of the lever 2 is formed with an operating-arm 9 ex tending rearward and projecting through a narrow slot 10 in the backll of the clockcase 12, the projecting end of the arm being bent at a right angle to form a liftingfinger 13 which coacts with wedge-like cams 14 and 15 respectively located at the outer ends of setting-arms l6 and 17 adjustably mounted upon the projecting rear end of an arbor. 18 caused to revolve once in twentyfour hours by the provision of its forward end with a gear wheel 19 meshing into a pinion 20 carrying a wheel 21 meshing into a wheel 22 mounted on the hour-socket 23 which is driven by the hour-wheel 24 of the dial-work of the clock. The cannonpinion 25 is located directly back of the said hourwheel 24.

The arms 16 and 17 are held in any de- .slred position of adjustment with respect to agraduated dial 26 mounted upon and roarm 9 and lift the lever 2 so as to rock it upon its stud 3, whereby the hook 29 at its opposlte end is moved into position to directly. co-act with a stop-wire 30 in the verge-arbor 31 of the controlling train which may be of any approved construction.

As shown, the arbor 31 is provided with a verge 32 co-acting with an escapement-wheel 33 on an arbor 34 carrying a pinion 35 meshing into the wheel 36 on an arbor 87 carrying 'a pinion 38 meshing into the main wheel 39 of the train. The main wheel 39 carries the barrel'40 within which the main spring (not shown) of the train is located, andis mounted upon a hub 41 having a sleeve 42 which projects rearwardly through the movement-plate '5 and houses the winding arbor 43. A cam 44 mounted upon the sleeve 42 illustrates one means of utilizing the controlling train for the operation of an independently organized mechanism such as a thermostat, gas valve, electric switch or the like. The cam 44 might be replaced by a gear, by a sprocket and chain, or by any one of a variety of devices which may be employed to utilize the intermittent rotation of the sleeve 42 for the operation of the mechanism under the control of the clock. The cam 44 herein shown, must therefore be regarded as merely illustrative of one method of tapping 0d the power of the controlling train.

The controlling train above described, is normally locked and held against running by means of a locking plate 45 (Fig. 6) having tilting and sliding movement, and located just in front of the rear intermediate movement-plate 5. At one end the plate is formed with a finger 46 which rests upon the rear edge 47 of a stop-arm 48 forming a feature of the lever 2 and co-acting with the forward intermediate movement-plate 7 for limiting the rocking movement of the lever 2 in one direction. The said plate is formed about midway of its length with a struck up stop-finger 49 which co-acts with a stop-pin 50 projecting from the rear face of the main wheel 39 as clearly shown in Figs. 8, 4 and 5.

The said plate is formed at its locking end with a rearwardly turned locking-finger 5 1 co-acting withthe stop-wireBO of the vergearbo-r 31 for normally restraining the controlling train, as shown in Fig. 4. Toprovide for mounting the plate 45, it is formed with two keyhole slots 52 and 53,. The pillar 54 passes through the large end of the slot 52 and is reduced in diameter at 55 to enter the narrow end thereof, whereby the plate-is permitted to have endwise or sliding movement as wellas rocking or tilting movement, upon the pillar 54 as a fulcrum. The keyhole 53 aforesaid, receives in the same manner, a forwardly projecting headed stud 56 mounted in the movement fplate 5. The

plate 45 is also formed, as shown, with a large clearance slot 57 through which a pillar 58 passes. A spring 59 secured in place by the stud 56 exerts a constant effort to move the plate forward into position for the engagement of its stop-finger 49 with the stop-pin 50, while a spring 60 bearing .againstthe outer face of its locking-finger 51, eXerts a constanteffort to move the plate longitudinally from left to right and therefore away from the stop-wire 30 of the verge-arbor 81.

Normally the parts of my improved mechanism occupy the positions shown in Fig. 4, in which the controlling train is restrained by the engagement of the stop-finger 49 of .the plate 45 with the stop-pin 50 of the main wheel of the train. The tendency of the barrel 40 to rotate, holds the plate at the limit of its sliding movement in the direction of'the stop-wire 30 with which the stopfinger 51 of the plate engages to prevent the controlling train from'running. Now when the action of the time-train causes one orthe otherof the wedge-like cams 14 and 15 to ride 'under the lifting-finger 13 of the arm 9 of'the lever 2, the same is rocked on it's stud 3 with the effect of tilting the plate 45 into the position in which it is shown by Fig. 5, whereby its stop-finger 49 is disengaged from the stop-pin 50 at which time the spring 60 operates to slide the plate from left to right into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 5 in which its locking-finger 51 is carried away from the stop-wire 30, but the controlling train is not/thereby released for the reason that as the lever 2 is rocked on its stud 3 as described, the hook 29 at the left hand, end of the lever is brought into its warning position as shown in Fig. 5, in which it engages with the stop-wire 30. The said'hook 29 now takes the place of the stop-finger 51 of the plate 45, in restraining the controlling trraiin The parts are thus brought into the position shown in Fig. 5, which is the warned position of the mechanism. hen in the operation of the time train, the particular cam in play passes the finger '13, the spring 59 will promptly act to rock the lever2 into its releasing position as shown in Fig. 4, whereby the stop-wire 30 is left free to vibrate and the controlling train to run, turning the sleeve 42 for the action of the cam 44, or whatever other instrumentality may be used for tapping-off the power of the controlling train. After the sleeve has completed one revolution, the stop-pin 50 rengages with the stop-finger 49 and the power of the main spring in the barrel 40 is utilized for sliding the plate 45 back into its locking position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, and in which its finger 51 co-acts with the stop-wire 30to restrain the running of the controlling train. If desired, of course, two or more stopepins like the pin 50 might be employed, the sleeve 42 being carried through a complete revolution,-or a fraction thereof, according to the number of pins.

I claim 1 In a clockforcontrolling mechanical devices, the combination with the time and controlling-trainsthereof, of a'jpivotal warning andrelea'sing lever co-acting directly with the said controlling-train for warning the same, means operated by thetime-train and 'co-acting directly with the said lever during short intervals only for intermit tently rockingthe same", and lockingmea'ns co-acting with the lever for normally restraining the controlling-train. v

2. In a clock for controlling mechanical devices, the combination with the time and controlling-trains thereof, of a warning-andreleasing lever cO acting'at one end withthe said controlling-train for warning the same, means operated by the time-train and coacting directly with the other endof the said leverduring short'intervals only forintermittently rocking the same, and locking means normallyrestrainin'g the operation of the controlling-train and unlocked by the rocking of the said lever when the same is moved into its warning position.

3. In a clock for controlling mechanical devices, the combination with the time and controlling-trains thereof, of a combined warning-and-releasing lever rocking in a plane substantially at a right angle to the plane of the clock and co-acting with the said controlling-train for warning the same, means operated by the said time-train and co-acting directly with one end of the said lever during short intervals only for intermittently rocking the same, and locking means co-acting with the said lever for normally restraining the controlling-train.

4. In a clock for controlling mechanical devices, the combination with the time and controlling trains thereof, of a cam arbor continuously driven by the time-train, a graduated dial carried by the said arbor, set ting-arms adjustably mounted upon the said arbor and provided at their outer ends with cams, a rigid pivotal warning and releasing lever rocking in a plane substantially at a right angle to the plane of the clock and furnished at one end with a lifting finger coacting with the said cams which operate to rock the lever and move its opposite end from its releasing into its warning position, a sliding' and tilting locking-plate engaged with one end of the said lever for being lifted thereby for releasing the controlling train to the warning action of the said lever.

5. In a clock for controlling mechanical devices, the combination with the time and controlling-trains thereof, of a combined warning-and-releasing lever rocking in a plane substantially at a right angle to the plane of the clock and co-acting at one end with the said controlling-train for warning the same, means operated by the time-train and engaging directly with the said lever during short intervals only for intermittently rocking it from its releasing to its warning position, and a sliding and tilting locking-plate co-acting at one end with the controlling-train for releasing and stopping the same, and co-acting at its opposite end with the said lever by means of which it is tilted to unlock the said train to the warning action of the lever.

6. In a clock for controlling mechanical devices, the combination with the time and controlling-trains thereof, of a combined warning-and-releasing lever rocking in a plane substantially at a right angle to the plane of the clock and co-acting at one end with the escapement of the controlling train for warning the same and furnished at its opposite end with a lifting-finger, adjustable setting-arms operated by the time-train and furnished at their ends with cams co-aoting with the said lifting-finger for intermittently rocking the said lever from its releasing to its warning position, and a sliding and tiltin locking-plate normally engaged by a whee of the controlling-train by which it is held in its locking engagement with the escapement thereof, and adapted to be lifted by direct engagement with the said lever, and a spring for sliding the said plate into its locked position when disengaged from the wheel of the controlling-train by the lever.

7. In a clock for controlling mechanical devices, the combination with the time and controlling trains thereof, of a combined warning-and-releasing lever co-acting at one end with the controlling train for warning the same and provided at its opposite end with a lifting-arm, a graduated dial and two setting-fingers terminating in cams, the said dial and fingers being operated by the timetrain, whereby. the said cams co-act with the said lifting-arm for rocking the said lever from its releasing into its warning osition, a sliding and-tiltlng locking-plate adapted at one end to co-act with the controlling-train and engaging at its opposite end with the said lever by which it is tilted, a stop-projection located upon the said plate for co-action with a stop-pin in one of the wheels of the controlling-train, whereby the plate is slid from its unlocked into its locked position by the controlling train, and a spring for sliding the plate in the opposite direction as soon as it has been released from the said wheel by the lifting of its stop-projection out of engagement with the stop-pin by the lifting of the cam.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK WEI-IINGER.

Witnesses:

J. R. PUTNAM, KATHERINE E. MARSHALL.

Copies 'of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of l'atents,

Washington, D. 0.- 

